Tim English will miss this weekend’s match against Hawthorn after suffering delayed concussion symptoms following the Bulldogs’ round 14 win over GWS.

English will be monitored over the coming days before a return-to-play plan is finalised.

“Tim was involved in some heavy impact incidents throughout the game,” Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell, said.

“He was fine during the game, but developed a headache afterwards. Yesterday, Tim developed some signs and symptoms that are consistent with a delayed concussion.

“He will now enter our concussion protocols, and won’t play this weekend.

“Always wanting to be conservative in this space, Tim will work with our doctor over the next couple of days to determine his return-to-play plan.”

Taylor Duryea could miss up to two months after injuring his MCL, while Cody Weightman has been cleared of any bone damage after dislocating his elbow.

“In the first quarter, Taylor went up into a contest where he tried to spoil the ball. When he landed, the opposition fell across the outside part of his knee, which overstretched the ligament on the inside part,” Bell said.

“This caused a high-grade injury to the MCL – his ACL is fine, but unfortunately this injury will see him miss the next 6-8 weeks of footy.

“In the second half of the game, Cody landed on his elbow and hyperextended it. This caused the joint to dislocate.

“We were able to relocate it, which significantly improved his acute symptoms. We stabilised the joint with tape, and he courageously returned to play.

“Scans have confirmed that he has damaged some ligaments, but the bone structure of the joint is okay.

“We will work through a process with Cody this week to determine when he returns to play.”

In more positive news, Toby McLean will make his long-awaited return to football in the VFL this weekend.

McLean has been sidelined since July last year, taking a conservative approach in his recovery from a second ACL injury in as many seasons.

“Toby has had a really hard couple of years, but has done everything possible to make sure he gets his body prepared to be able to play AFL football,” Bell said.

“We’re really proud of how Toby has conducted himself, and can’t wait to see him pull on the jumper this weekend in the VFL.”

Mitch Hannan is also closing in on a return to availability, having missed a large portion of the year due to some persistent symptoms suffered from a head knock. 

Injury List

Toby McLean (knee) – available
Mitch Hannan (concussion) – test
Stefan Martin (shoulder) – test
Cody Weightman (elbow) – test
Tim English (concussion) – TBC
Laith Vandermeer (hamstring) – 2-3 weeks
Charlie Parker (hamstring) – 4-6 weeks
Taylor Duryea (knee) – 6-8 weeks

*As of 20 June 2022